More importantly, it set up a Grand Slam showdown with England at Lansdowne Road next Sunday - but O'Driscoll admits his side will need to find a major improvement if they are to end their 55-year wait for the championship.

"We're not going to beat England with a performance like that," he said. "It was certainly sub-standard, and we have a lot of work to do if we are going to beat the No 1 side in the world."

Tries either side of half-time from flanker Keith Gleeson gave Ireland a 19-7 lead. They held an eight-point lead in the final quarter after a fourth penalty from David Humphreys - but they failed to put the game away.

After conceding just one try in three games against Scotland, Italy and France, the Irish took a backward step by leaking touchdowns to Stephen Jones, Martyn Williams and Gareth Thomas.

"We missed too many first-up

tackles," admitted coach Eddie O'Sullivan.

"At this level, you pay a big price.

"Wales played very well - which was no surprise to me. I've been saying it all week, but nobody believed me.

"They did the same to England but maybe they didn't believe they could beat England. They certainly did believe they could beat us - and they had no reason not to.

"I expected it to go down to the wire - but not that tight."

O'Sullivan felt there was still time to win the game after Jones had

edged the Welsh 24-22 in front in the second minute of stoppage time.

"I tried to get a message out that there was at least three minutes left, and that's enough time to get field position and generate an opportunity," he said.

O'Sullivan played down the controversy over a suspected deliberate knock-on by Justin Bishop in the dying moments of the match.

Referee Steve Lander played advantage, but there was confusion over whether he had intended to award a penalty for a scrum.